Media Studies

Subject Overview

Media Studies is offered at Key Stage 4 and at A level and provides students with the necessary skills to allow them to better understand and critically analyse the messages and ideas behind today’s media saturated society. During the course, they will study media theories, concepts and debates and apply them to a range of texts. They also establish and strengthen their practical and creative skills working in print, moving image and e-media to create websites, magazines, music videos, trailers and more.

GCSE Media Studies

Students study the AQA GCSE course during Y10 and Y11. Assessment is via two exams at the end of Y11 and an NEA project that students complete at the start of Y11.

  • Paper 1 – 35% examines, magazines, advertising and marketing, newspapers and online, social and participatory media and video games
  • Paper 2 – 35% examines radio, music videos, newspapers, online, social and participatory media and video games and film
  • NEA – 30% – students choose from a range of briefs to make a media production, often a website, magazine pages or a short moving image piece

 

Complimentary Subject Combinations and Enrichment Activities

The critical analysis elements of media studies links well with English literature and language as students are expected to use similar skills of being able to approach texts from a critical perspective, only on a wider range of platforms such as websites and film.

The practical production elements of the course has strong links with Art, ICT, Photography, Drama, Music and Design as students will use these creative skills in the creation of their own media pieces.

Schemes of Work

Students should use the resources located on the Library drive in school, or via the portal, to access information and revision materials related to their set texts.

Useful Links

Due to the constantly changing nature of the media landscape, students are expected to keep abreast of current affairs and be familiar with trends within media texts and new digital media. Useful websites for this are:

Multimedia links

As part of the practical production element, students will become versed in video editing skills for their coursework. As a school, we have a number of Macbooks and iMacs and use Final Cut Express for the creation of moving image pieces. Tutorials on this software can be easily found on the apple website or on